Pfizer funding - News

13th December 2010 - Additional funding from Pfizer Global Alliances

Since its launch 3 years ago, the WikiVet project has grown to cover most parts of the veterinary curriculum with over 3,000 pages of content. It has a readership of over 8,000 vets, nurses and students who have studied at almost every veterinary school in the world.

The challenge for WikiVet in 2011 is to continue to grow the number of users and ensure that the site addresses their key learning needs. The site is already widely used by veterinary surgeons, nurses and students in the UK. The intention is now to extend the level of use further afield initially by working through other veterinary schools.

WikiVet is now working closely with the international publishing house CABI which provides access to veterinary literature through VetMed Resource and CAB Abstracts. This partnership has proved beneficial as content in WikiVet can point directly to references in VetMed Resource. This ensures that students have ready access to key references when working with WikiVet.

The new funding will enable WikiVet and CABI to work with selected European vet schools providing content to enhance their curriculum. This will involve:

1. Development of links with five main stream European veterinary schools. These links will include an initial visit by WikiVet representatives, establishing student to student exchanges and customization of the WikiVet interface to suit specific curriculum needs of each school.
2. Establishment of an integrated package of CABI resources including links to VetMed Resource for access to the partner schools, and provide training to improve information skills. The project will aim to identify suitable graduates who can start work on translating the interface and parts of the content of WikiVet;
3. Continuation of work on the completion of the WikiVet clinical content by employing student and young graduate authors. This will be of particular importance to ensure that the material has a resonance with a European audience of veterinary students and graduates.